(born in Baden bei Wien in 1929) "Perspektiven der Vernichtung” (joint work with Wolfgang Kudrnofsky), 1951, folder with 12 black and white photographs, 2 endpapers (lithographs), signed in the print, one of them signed on the reverse by both artists in red/blue ink, dated by Rainer, numbered 16/180, the photographs numbered on the reverse in chronological order (not entirely consistent: 8-9 missing, 11 present twice), 18 x 13 cm, in paper envelope designed by Arnulf Rainer, the latter with minor condition issues

The planned print run of 180 copies was never realised, only a few examples were produced. Equipped with a presentation folder containing blue prints of their own works, Lassnig and Rainer travelled to Paris in the summer of 1951 to meet Breton and the Surrealists. Rainer’s portfolio "Perspektiven der Vernichtung" contained surrealist drawings and photos of material images. Together with the photographer Wolfgang Kudrnofsky, Rainer created the latter works from colour pastes, tar, grass and excelsior and destroyed them after photographing them, in keeping with the title of the portfolio. All of these works showed extreme possibilities of destruction and negation. Rainer was disappointed by the bourgeois life Breton led in Paris. In a conversation with Brigitte Schwaiger, he expressed himself thus: “... but surrealism was no longer attractive.... After Paris, or rather after Breton, I had actually overcome surrealism for me. That’s why the encounter was so important to me.” from the aforementioned thesis. Partly illustrated/catalogued in: Christa Armann, Arnulf Rainer, Das Frühwerk, Diplomarbeit, Uniersity of Vienna 2010, p. 25; Arnulf Rainer, "Aller Anfang ist schwer". Frühe Arbeiten 1949-1961, DuMont 2009, p. 70 f.